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Knoxville restaurant gives discount to government employees during shutdown

Holly's Gourmets Market and Cafe offered discounts on meals to government employees during the government shutdown on Saturday.

It was a typical Saturday for those eating at Holly's Gourmets Market and Cafe.

The dining room was jam-packed with patrons looking for a good meal. Silverware clinking the plates, the kitchen bustling and preparing meals for all the customers.

For this day, and for the future, the restaurant is serving up something special.

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"So just wanted to let you know before you order, we are doing a 10 percent discount for government employees," a waitress said to one of the tables. "If that applies to either of you, we'd be happy to apply that at the register."

Holly Hambright is the owner of the restaurant. She said that with the restaurant being a community-based business, it was the least she could do to provide this discount.

"To come to the support of our neighbors and offer a little incentive to come in and have breakfast," Hambright said. "And take a little bit of the pain away if they got furloughed."

Tennessee government employees are not impacted by the government shutdown. Federal employees are the ones who could see a big change. Hambright said she plans to offer discounts to both.

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"I'm not trying to politicize anything, I'm just trying to be a good neighbor and help some of our neighbors out that might be affected."

The last time the U.S. has seen a government shutdown was back in 2013. It lasted for 16 days. The full impact of the government shutdown may not be felt by the public until several days from Saturday.

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